Alice: Modern Cinderella
by Kathleen Isabela
Summary: Loosely based on "A Cinderella Story" featuring Hillary Duff, this is a tale of Alice who loses her father in a tragic car accident and is left to the hands of her schizophrenic stepmother and her two-faced daughters. As if surviving through high school (and crushing on the most off-limits guy) isn't enough, she sets of in her days discovering who she really is.
1. Chapter 1

Alice stepped outside into her tiny balcony, breathing in the cool, dewy morning air. She closed her eyes as she did this, taking in every single goodness the morning exuded. She loved doing this every morning, after she opened her windows and drew her curtains, as it refreshed her. _I hope this lasts for a while_, thought Alice.

Her thoughts were interrupted with a loud, cracking sound that came from a speaker located at her bedside table. "Alice!" the voice barked. "ALICE! Get up, you lazy girl! Fix me and the girls' breakfast! Chop, chop!" The speaker made a loud, screeching noise as the voice went off.

Alice opened her eyes as soon as she heard the voice. _What a beautiful way to start my day_, Alice thought to herself. Her mood automatically became grouchy and grumpy. She quickly changed out of her pajamas and into the new black shirt which she recently bought with the money that she _finally_ received as income from her horrible stepmother. Down her legs went her striped pants and up her legs went the hand-me-down jeans she got from the fake aunt that her stepmother created. Her stepmother had actually found those pants in the neighbours trash and thought it would be the 'perfect' gift for Alice's 6th birthday, which was 12 years ago. It took Alice 7 years to finally fit into the pants, but she did not really have a choice.

She ran out of her room, located at the dusty old attic, down the carpeted stairs and into the newly marble-floored kitchen. After washing her hands, Alice opened the fridge, took out the dishes that contained the breakfast of her stepmother and her twin stepsisters. It was a good thing she had prepared the night before, because her bossy stepmother was very impatient. After heating the dishes in the microwave for 5 minutes, she ran out to the backyard, where the rest of her family was. Her stepmother, Goldilla, was sunbathing under the cloudy sky, while her twin stepsisters, Frida and Freda, were having their daily early-morning swimming lessons. Wanting to avoid trouble, Alice quickly placed the dishes on the table beside Goldilla and announced, "Breakfast is served!"

Goldilla turned to Alice's direction, surprised by the sudden appearance of her stepdaughter. "Alice!" Goldilla exclaimed, her voice strained as she tried to keep her voice smooth. She had found her daughters' swimming coach, James, very attractive and wanted to look impressive (sadly, the coach despised Goldilla and wanted to get out of her house A.S.A.P.).

"Alice!" Goldilla exclaimed. "Why, I almost thought you'd never arrive! Is the food fresh? I'm on a diet you know," Goldilla said the last bit a little too loudly, in hopes of catching the attention of the James. Unfortunately, the swim coach was too busy cringing at the sight of Frida and Freda's atrocious swimming.

"Yes, Goldilla, it's fresh. Eat up and enjoy your breakfast," Alice said hurriedly. Lucky for Alice, Goldilla wasn't very intelligent and never understood the physical and termological difference of fresh and not fresh. Alice locked eyes James, a friend she had in times when Goldilla became too obnoxious. James smiled sympathetically and winked at Alice, to which Goldilla had mistaken as a flirty look that was directed to herself. Immediately, Goldilla squealed in delight.

"Oh, James! You're such a naughty boy, do you know that!" Goldilla pathetically flirted publicly. James turned red as beet and pretended as though he had not heard a word Goldilla had said. Alice could not help but giggle to herself. James glanced at Alice, who gave an apologetic shrug and smile.

Alice turned to Goldilla. "Um, Goldilla, I need to ask you something..." she began, but was cut off.

"Damn it, girl! Stop mumbling! You know how I feel about the mumbling," Goldilla scolded Alice. "What is it you want? I'm a busy woman."

"Goldilla," Alice started again, feeling nervous. "I-I-I don't think I'll be able to work at the diner hours before school!" _There, I've said it_, thought Alice.

Goldilla coughed out the drink she had swallowed. "Hell to the no. You are not weaseling your way out of your future. What makes you think you can do whatever you want? I call the shots here!"

"But Goldilla, my finals are coming up and I need every single second I can get to study! I'm in the top class and I can't afford to be lax! I need those hours, Goldilla. Would you please consider my plea?" Alice said in desperation.

Goldilla sighed as she placed her drink on the table. "Look, 'honey'," Goldilla began. Alice hated it whenever Goldilla called her anything else other than her own name. "You need to accept the fact that it doesn't matter how smart you are. You already have a job. Those people in your class are working their ass off because they don't have a job. And you've already got one. So stop your childish complains because you already have something your silly friends don't. This is your future, Alice. Face it. And no, I'm not considering your silly plea. So, please, get out of my face while I'm asking you nicely." Goldilla said coldly to Alice. She grabbed her drink and began sipping. "I'll be coming in the diner later an hour before you start school, and I expect to see you there. So stop whining your silly ass off and get over there. Now!" barked Goldilla.

Alice, fighting back angry and hurt tears, turned and stormed back into the house. She managed to sneak a look at James, who did a gesture which suggested that Goldilla was a female dog. _At least somebody is on the same side as me_, thought Alice as she waved goodbye to James, who waved back.

Quickly, she grabbed her school bag, throwing in all the necessary materials she needed for that day. She grabbed her car keys and tossed her bag into her car downstairs. She never loved anything more than her trusty old car, left behind by her beloved father. Thinking too much about the car brought back memories of her father, leaving her in tears. Alice shooked her head. "No," she said to herself. "Not today, Alice, not today. Today will be different, I know it will be."


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriel Summers had died in a car accident a few weeks after he had wed Goldilla Winter. He had a daughter which he had from his previous marriage, which had not turned out well because his ex-wife had died while giving birth to their only daughter, Alicea Jane Summers, whom he called 'Alice' for short. After his wife's death, Gabriel only had Alice in his life, and always treated her like she was the queen of the world. Alice was his favourite, and nothing came first before Alice. Not until Goldilla Winter came into the picture.

Gabriel met Goldilla in his very own diner, Paradise Summers, when Goldilla had slipped over a piece of banana skin which someone had dropped on the floor. That day, the staff of Paradise Summers and Gabriel were celebrating Alice's 5th birthday, and just as Gabriel snapped a picture of Alice blowing the candles on her cake, Goldilla slipped on the banana skin and grabbed the nearest object (in this case, Gabriel) for dear life. Lucky for Goldilla, Gabriel had quick reflexes and caught Goldilla before she landed butt-first to the floor, and ever since then, everything was about Goldilla.

Alice had her doubts about Goldilla. She would seem like an angel whenever Gabriel was around, but as soon as he was at a different place from her, the real Goldilla would surface. She was a mean person who always wanted things her way and no one else's. She despised Alice for no reason, and constantly bullied her. Alice would always cry to her father and ask him the same question, _Why, daddy, why? Do you not see how I am hurting?_ But it was as if her father had been in a deep spell that could not broken, and always answered her questions with the same reason, _You don't understand how I feel, love. She's different, and I love her. You'll love her too, someday. _

That someday never came. As quickly as they had met, they had gotten married, just 3 months after Goldilla's near-fall. It was at that time when Alice first met her new twin stepsisters, Frida and Freda. Lucky for Alice, they were of the same age as her. Frida and Freda were very friendly to her at first, always offering to plait Alice's long, silky hair and inviting Alice to their tea parties with their Barbie dolls. But Goldilla was swift with her moves. She told lies to her daughters about Alice, and ever since then, they detested Alice, just like how Goldilla detested her.

Gabriel was almost unaware of all the hatred that was going on in his new household. Alice had her own bedroom, a room large enough to fit 3 people to sleep in. Frida and Freda had to share, and Goldilla and Gabriel shared a room together (something that still disgusts Alice to this very day). Gabriel was the sole breadwinner in the family, and worked in the diner everyday. Other than freedom during school hours, Alice would be the subject of Goldilla's and the twins' constant bullying. To avoid them, Alice would lock herself up in her room, listening to the taunting of her new family who stood by her bedroom door as she took refuge under her sheets, crying softly.

Alice would look forward to her father's return from work everyday, always running up to his arms as he walked through the front door. But Alice should have known better, she wasn't just Gabriel's favourite anymore. She needed to compete for attention with Goldilla and the twins. But Gabriel always had his soft spot for Alice. After all, she is his only blood and flesh. Every night, Gabriel would read stories to Alice as she drifted off to sleep. However, one night, Alice could not take all the pain she had bottled up inside of her. It was time her father knew the truth.

"Daddy, stop," Alice interrupted Gabriel, who was reading Jack and the Beanstalk to her.

Concerned, Gabriel put down the book. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Are you okay?" He caressed his daughter's hair, something that he loved a lot as it was very much the same as his ex-wife's hair.

"Daddy, I love you. I know you want what's best for me, but I don't think you have any idea what's wrong," Alice began, trying to not to cry or sob. "I know you love Goldilla and the twins, but-"

"Wait, hold on a minute," her father interrupted her. "Alice, we've had this conversation billions of times, and I think we both know that-"

"Daddy! Please, let me explain. Give me a chance to speak, please," Alice pleaded with her father, who reluctantly agreed.

"Sigh. Daddy, I-I-I don't know where to begin. I honestly thought that Goldilla and the twins would be better for the both of us, but I was wrong." Tears began to stream down Alice's face. "T-t-the truth is, and I am speaking the truth, they hate me. G-G-Goldilla and the t-twins... I-I-I don't know what I have done wrong, Daddy, but they're always ill-treating me. I try to love them like how you love them, but it's like they don't c-c-care." Alice began to sob bitterly.

Sighing, Gabriel held Alice in his arms and cradled her. He kissed her head several times as she continued to sob. "My poor, sweet child," Gabriel said. His voice was traced with bitterness. "My beautiful angel. I'm sorry I've been ignorant to this matter. I'm sorry I didn't trust you completely. Ah, I'm a bad father! I don't know what I'm doing half the time." Tears began streaming down his face as well. They held each other in their arms for a long while, crying and sobbing. After a while, Alice looked up at her father.

"Daddy, you are not a bad man," Alice croaked, her voice strained from sobbing. "You are a good man, and you are a good father. I love you very much." She hugged her father tightly, who in return hugged her back twice as much.

"Oh, Alice," said her father. They let go of the hug and he caressed her hair. "I love you very much too. And I will make it up to you. I will tell Goldilla and the twins to stop this nonsense. They can hurt me, but they can't say a single word to my little angel." He ruffled Alice's hair. "Heh. It's way past your bedtime now." He tucked her in her bed and wiped off her tears. He wiped the tears away from his face as well. "Boy! You really know how to make your old man cry, don't you." He kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you very much, I'll see tomorrow when I get home from work." He closed her bedroom door. Anger began to boil in him as he went into his bedroom to tell off his new wife, who reluctantly agreed to stop being mean to Alice.

Alice never did see him the next night. On his way home from work, a drunk driver had hit Gabriel's car, which sent Gabriel spinning away into a direction of an oil truck. His car had hit the oil tank, causing a dent so hard that a hole opened up in the tank. Oil began to spill all over the Gabriel's car, and his unconsciousness did not help at all. He lay in his car, oil spilling into the seats and eventually into his clothes, without any clue what was happening around him. When he finally did wake up, about 10 minutes later, it was too late. The driver of the oil truck was smoking nearby and was stupid enough to not notice the accident that had happened behind him. Without thinking, he tossed his finished cigarette behind him, which landed right smack in the middle of Gabriel's car. _Boom! _ Gabriel and his car went up into flames so strong, that even the irresponsible truck driver got burnt alive. The police and an ambulance rushed into the scene, but neither of them were able to save Gabriel nor the truck driver.

The authorities called up the Summers residences, and Goldilla and the children were rushed to the scene. It was a painful sight; it took the firemen about an hour to properly put out the flames, and even then, nothing could be salvaged, not even a body. The police were able to trace Gabriel's number plate as there was a camera nearby that managed to capture it, moments before he crashed. Goldilla and the children were distraught, not knowing what to do. _Please, help us! He's the sole breadwinner of the family, he's all we've got! Save him, officer! Save him!_ The cries of Goldilla and the children replayed over and over again, but there was nothing that could be done. Goldilla could not help but feel extremely sorry for Alice, who lost her last living blood relative to irresponsible drivers. Goldilla firmly promised herself that she would no longer harm the little girl, and instead, she will treat her as if she were her biological mother.

Weeks passed since the accident, and Gabriel's last testament surfaced before the family and the family lawyer. _I love you girls very much, you are the world to me. _Gabriel's words stung Alice's heart. She still could not believe that her father was gone forever. One day she had it all, and the next day, everything was gone. Her whole life had seemed to vanish in an instant.

Because Alice was still a little girl, she would inherit her father's successful diner, Paradise Summers, when she turned 18. For the time being, Goldilla Winter became the official guardian of Alice and was to become the temporary owner of the diner. Dollar signs flashed in front Goldilla's eyes, and her greed came pouring in. She completely neglected her promise to become a better person and was tempted to revert back to her old self, the one who could not care less about anything else other than herself and money. Once she took control of Paradise Summers, it was the end. She changed the name to "Greatly Goldilla," did an entire makeover on the menu, and made the staff wear ridiculous pink, tulle skirts for the ladies, and pink shirts for the men that said, "I Heart Goldilla." Greatly Goldilla was the exact opposite of Paradise Summers; its regular customers never returned after hearing the news of Gabriel's death and after tasting the new menu. The staff hated Goldilla, who tormented them everyday and stole from the cash register when she thought no one was looking. The only reason the staff stayed and never gave up or left was because of Alice. They had watched Alice grow up from birth and they loved her as if she were their very own child. They could not wait for the day that Alice would take over the diner and make things right again.

Belittle to the staff and Alice's knowledge, Goldilla hid the letter from the court stating Alice's immediate ownership of the diner on the day she turned 18. She hid the letter in Alice's old story book, knowing that Alice would never find it there as she would never open the book again, hurt by the memory of her father reading to her tales and fables every night. This way, Goldilla would have control of the failing diner forever, and she no longer cared for Alice anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

"Alice, what the hell are you doing here?"

Alice looked up, and saw her late father's old assistant, Rhoda, hands crossed and looking sternly at her. "What the hell are you doing here, girl? School's about to start in half an hour. Don't you have finals coming up? This isn't time for you to dilly-dally, you know."

Sighing, Alice stood up from the floor, where she had been brushing diligently to make sure it sparkled. "Goldilla doesn't allow me to skip work, Rhoda. I don't have a choice. And anyway, I'm almost done here, and I still need to mop the floor, so-"

Rhoda interrupted her. "Oh, hell no, girl, hell no. You're not gonna let that stupid Godzilla-" -a nickname the staff and Alice used for Goldilla- "-tell you how to run your life. You can't let her walk all over you all the time, girl. Now get up and get your ass to school. I'm gonna finish your work for you." Rhoda began to pull her up, but Alice let go.

"Rhoda, please, just let me finish this. I'm almost done here, and-"

"Stop talking. Stand up and get your ass to school," Rhoda interrupted her again, sternly warning her. "You better leave now before I do anything scary."

Reluctant, Alice stood up, removing her gloves and handed over the brush to Rhoda. "Thank you, Rhoda, for helping me."

Rhoda pulled Alice into a big bear hug. "Aww, honey, you know I've got your back. Have fun in school, sweetheart."

And with that, Alice made a run for her car.

Alice picked up her best friend, Charlie, from his house and made a dash to school. Charlie, as usual, would not stop talking about the dream he had the night before.

"So, like, the dude was getting all fired up and kept asking me for my sensei's sword, but then I suddenly did this kungfu move thing on him and he totally fell to the ground and blacked out. And I didn't want to look like a criminal, so I ran up a wall, got onto the roof and jumped off rooftops into the setting sun," Charlie blabbered. Alice did not mind at all, anyway, that's what made Charlie himself.

Charlie looked Alice with his bespectacled eyes. "You know," he said. "You're being awfully quiet. What's up? Godzilla ruining your day again? You should totally get used to that by now you know, this isn't the first time she's done this." Charlie adjusted the radio in Alice's car, but Alice slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch the radio! Yeah, it's her. I know I should get used to this by now, but, like, I don't know man, it's like she's out to ruin my life or something," Alice sighed. "It's as if she was born into this world to torment Alice Summers. She hates me so much, I don't even understand why."

"Hmm," Charlie said to himself. "Hmm."

"Hmm? What is it, Charlie? Just say it," Alice said.

"Well, I've always wondered why you never get people to call you as 'Alicea,' or 'Jane,' instead of 'Alice.' I think Alicea is a prettier name, if you ask me," Charlie said. Charlie always knew how to turn situations around so that the person he was speaking with would never feel awkward or sad. It was something Alice loved about him a lot.

"You know? I've never really thought about that," Alice said, after thinking for a while. "My dad always called me Alice, and I don't think anyone has ever called me by first or second name." Alice parked her car at the school car park. They had 10 minutes before the first bell rang. She had other things to worry about now. She and Charlie got out of her car, temporarily soaking into the sweet morning air.

"Call me later when you're done, okay?" Alice told Charlie. Just as Charlie answered, "Okay!" to Alice's question, her phone rang. It was text that said, _Hey there. Ready for finals? :) _Alice could not help but smile as she read the message.

While Alice was replying the text, Charlie noticed the sudden blush on her cheeks and the sweet smile she had on her face. "Oh, god. It's him again, isn't it? Your lover boy."

Blushing, Alice said, "He's not my lover boy."

"Whatever!" Charlie huffed. "You two should just meet and hook up or something. If he's from our school and he's in one of your classes, there's got to be about 40% chance that you've already met him. And about 1% chance that he's actually a decent guy, for that matter."

Alice laughed. "Oh, Charlie! I'll meet him someday, don't worry. And it doesn't matter how he looks. I think his personality is good enough for me, and it makes me happy."

Charlie rolled his eyes. "I think his personality is screwed up. He's too chicken to even go up to your face and say, 'You're the one I've been waiting for!' or something like that." The bell rang. Turning, Charlie said, "Have fun today. And don't forget to question every guy you meet in your classes if he's your lover boy!" He waved goodbye to Alice.

Laughing as she waved back, Alice made a quick run to her first class, Biology. Something told her that today was going to be a different day, and it placed a big smile on Alice's face and heart.


	4. Chapter 4

Alice quickly took her seat in her biology class just as her teacher, Mr Rodrick Reynolds, stepped into the room. "All right, kids!" He yelled heartily. It was a good thing for the students that teaching was his passion as it made his class so much fun for the students.

"All right, kids! Guess what we're gonna do today," Mr Reynolds questioned the class.

Billy Joel raised his hand. "Pop quiz!" He replied enthusiastically. The groans of the students echoed the room.

"Brilliant, Billy!" Mr Reynolds praised Billy as he offered him a high-five. He began to hand out the quiz papers. "Human circulatory system. No discussions. And I wanted it completed by the end of the lesson, so that it means you have half an hour to complete it. You may begin. Good luck!" Mr Reynolds smiled wide.

Lucky for Alice, her forte was in the human body, so the quiz would not be of much difficulty to her. Halfway through the paper, somebody whispered her name. "Psst, Alice! Alice!"

Startled, Alice quickly looked up and saw that her biology partner, who was sitting on her left, was the one calling her. Her voice caught in her throat. "Uh, yes?" she began nervously.

Her partner smiled his cool, suave smile at her. "I know I shouldn't do this, but I really need your help. What kind of blood does the pulmonary artery carry? I totally forgot!" he whispered quietly to Alice, who was still in shock.

"Um, uh," Alice stammered. "The, uh, pulmonary artery carries, um, uh, it carries deoxygenated blood." _Aww man, I looked like a complete idiot in front of him! _ Alice thought to herself.

Lucky for Alice, her partner did not notice her cringe. Instead, he smiled warmly and gratefully at her. "Thank you, so, so much. I really owe you one, don't let me forget that." He winked at her as he returned to his paper, leaving Alice in a mini state of shock as she returned to her paper.

Minutes later, the bell rang and it signaled the end of the lesson. Just as Alice was about to stand from her seat and pass her teacher her paper, her partner called out, "Alice, wait!"

Slowly, Alice turned around. "Y-yes?" She asked him.

Her partner stood up, pushing his chair into the table. His good manners always caught Alice's attention. "I really meant what I said about owing you, you know. How about I treat you to Starbucks after school?" her partner asked kindly.

"Uh, well, um, about that," Alice began nervously, remembering that she had to work at the diner after school. "I don't think-"

Suddenly, somebody behind Alice called out her partner's name, telling him to 'hurry up, the world can't wait for you.' Sighing, Alice's partner told Alice, "Another time, okay? I promise, I'll make it up to you!" He smiled widely and waved goodbye to her, and Alice waved back. Realising where she was, she quickly gathered herself and rushed to her next lesson, Art, where she was glad she could have Charlie in the same room as her.

"I think he likes you!"

Since nobody really cared about art, the art teacher, Mrs Lee, allowed the students to do whatever they wanted, as long as it was not something stupid. For Alice and Charlie, they took this time to fill in each other about their latest shenanigans. Alice was informing Charlie about her latest interaction with her biology partner when Charlie bursted, "I think he likes you!"

Alice snorted. "No, he doesn't! He doesn't even know me."

Alice's biology partner was none other than Brandon Spring, the most famous guy in the school. Being the school's quarterback meant that he was physically fit and extremely attractive. And he had very good manners that were taught by his very popular parents, who were well-known for their successful family businesses, such as the fancy restaurant that most people could not afford, Spring Hut, and the organic market, Fresh Spring. Brandon was the type of boy who had it all- good family, good grades, good portfolio, good everything. It was by luck that Alice managed to have him as her partner, though Charlie liked to think that it was fate that brought them together.

"Come on, Alice. Being kind and nice is one thing," Charlie told Alice, "but being extremely grateful and saying that he owes you big time is another thing! He's obviously digging you. And I know you like it too, don't you?" Charlie teased Alice, who began slapping his arm lightly.

"Stop it!" Alice's cheeks turned rosy pink. "He's just too kind, that's all. Anyway, I thought he was going out with Shelly Wells?" Alice tried to change the subject, but failed.

"Don't try to change the subject, Alice. We both know that even if he's going out with some lame girl, you're still going to be watching and swooning from afar. Or beside him during biology, for that matter," Charlie said sternly, putting on a fake frown.

"Stop it, Charlie, I mean it!" Alice said seriously at first, but could not help but laugh at Charlie's excessive dramatization. She looked at him closely. "Charlie, have you tried out for the school play yet?"

Charlie narrowed his eyes at her. "Why would I want to be part of some drippy play in some drippy school? Besides, I don't really wanna do The Sound Of Music, there'll be too many prissy apron-donned divas fighting for the single spot for Maria." Charlie crossed his arms.

Rolling her eyes, Alice poked Charlie in the elbow. "Hey, you do know that the whole diva thing is included in the drama package, right? You're never gonna avoid them." Charlie scowled, but looked away after a moment. Realising that there was something else bothering him, she said, "Hold on, Charles. This isn't about what I think it is, is it? We've talked about this before-"

Charlie turned to look at her with an upset look on his face. "Well, it damn well is about that." Charlie's passion was dramatic arts, and often he would get bullied for what he loves most. Jocks and cruel people label him a word that questions that his sexuality, but none of which was true. When his crush, the ever so beautiful and popular Katie Grey (who also happens to be Shelly Wells's best friend), found out about the teasing, she joined in as well, leaving Charlie dismayed. "Katie was so different from the rest," Charlie cried when he had found out about it. Which was true, because Katie was the most honest and kindest person in her Queen Bee clique. Ever since, Charlie had bee ashamed of his passion even though he was so good at it, and instead sulked whenever the school would announce auditions for a new musical.

Sighing, Alice placed her hand gently on her best friend's shoulder. "You know, Charlie," she said. "I'd really hate to see such talent to go to waste. We both know you sing and dance so much better than those girls. Heck, I don't they can even carry a tune! Come on, Charles. We promised each other earlier this year that we'd make it our best year ever. And, obviously, throwing away the audition without proper consideration is pretty much going against the promise." She held out her pinky finger. "So what do you say, buddy? Promise you'd at least audition? You'd make a really good Captain Von Trapp, I'm sure. Please?" Alice pouted.

Charlie scoffed as he rolled his eyes, and he interlocked his pinky finger with Alice's. "Okay, fine. I will, okay? But you must be there when I audition, I don't want to do this alone."

Alice smiled. "You know that it's forever us against the world, right?"


End file.
